John Brodie had a big day in June 1957. He double-parked his car, went up to the San Francisco office of 49ers owner Anthony Morabito, signed his contract, ran back downstairs and got back in the car with Sue, went to a jewelry store and bought an engagement ring with the $3,000 check he cashed for being the third pick of the draft.

Anecdotes like those make a fun read of “Game of My Life,” a 49ers retrospective by Dennis Georgatos, the Mercury News’ 49ers beat writer. Georgatos talked to 23 players and Bill Walsh about what led them to the 49ers, and he interspersed it with their recollections of their most memorable game. (For Brodie, it was coming off the bench to lead a comeback against Minnesota in 1972; for Walsh, The Catch.)

Our other book recommendations, because a book is a convenient (read: easy) way to cross names off the list:

“Golf: The Best Instruction Book Ever!” Sports Illustrated gathered tips from 100 of the world’s top instructors for a book and DVD that, at $29.95, costs less than even one lesson.

“The Stark Truth.” ESPN’s Jayson Stark lists the most overrated and underrated players at every position. His most controversial one: Sandy Koufax as left-handed starter. Special enjoyment for Giants fans: The Dodgers are stuck for two years and $36 million with Andruw Jones, Stark’s choice as most overrated center fielder.

“Steroid Nation.” The Mitchell report’s reference to high school use alarmed many people. Shaun Assael’s book would cause an outright panic.

“First Class Citizenship: The Civil Rights Letters of Jackie Robinson.” Michael Long reminds us, through Robinson’s correspondence with historical figures, that it was never just about baseball for the player either.

“Pistol: The Life of Pete Maravich.” Mark Kriegel follows up his excellent biography of Joe Namath with this offering. Magic, Jordan, LeBron . . . no player was as captivating in his early 20s.